DOOH proposal template: what to include and why it wins

Most digital out-of-home proposals are decided in the first read. The advertiser - often a business owner or marketing manager, not a media buyer - is looking for five things: where the ad will show, who will see it, what it costs, what they get, and how to say yes. This guide gives you a section-by-section template that answers all five, plus the sending habits that raise win rates more than any wording change.

What the reader is actually deciding

Before the template, the mindset. A DOOH proposal is not a pitch document - the pitch already happened in the conversation that produced the enquiry. The proposal's job is to remove every reason to hesitate: make the campaign concrete (real screens, real dates, real numbers), make the value visible, and make acceptance a one-step action. Everything in the template serves one of those three.

The template, section by section

1. Cover and summary

Advertiser name, campaign name, proposed dates, total price, and one sentence of value: "Your brand on 4 high-traffic city-centre screens, 1-31 August." A reader who only sees this page should already know the shape of the deal. Include your logo and a proposal number - it reads as an operation, not a favor.

2. The screens

This is the heart of the proposal, and where generic documents lose. List every screen by name and location, and for each give the one or two facts that make it right for this advertiser: footfall or traffic character, audience profile, dwell time, proximity to the advertiser's business or customers. A photo of each screen in situ does more persuading than any paragraph - people buy locations they can picture.

3. Schedule and share

Campaign start and end dates, spot length, and how often the ad plays - expressed in plain terms ("your 10-second spot plays once per 60-second loop, roughly 1,000 plays per screen per day, screen hours 06:00-24:00"). This is where vagueness breeds mistrust: an advertiser who cannot tell what they are getting assumes it is less than it sounds.

4. Price

The package price, what it includes, and a validity date ("this proposal is valid until 15 July"). One recommended package, plus at most one upgrade option - a larger screen set or longer duration. If you have a structured rate card (see our guide on pricing DOOH inventory), the price will be consistent and defensible, which shows. State payment terms here too: invoice timing, and whether monthly billing is available for longer campaigns.

5. Creative requirements

Resolution and orientation per screen, file formats accepted, spot duration, and the delivery deadline relative to launch. Say who produces the creative - and if you offer production help or templates, this is the place to mention it, because "we can help you make the ad" removes the last practical obstacle for small advertisers.

6. Proof and reporting

Tell them what they will receive during and after the campaign: proof-of-play reporting, screen photos, a campaign summary. Advertisers repeat with operators who close the loop (repeat share is one of the six numbers in our KPI guide) - and saying so upfront differentiates you from everyone who just takes the money and goes quiet.

7. Next step

One clear action: "Reply to accept and we will confirm your dates" or a link or button if your proposal is digital. Restate the validity date. Do not end with "let me know if you have any questions" - end with the yes.

Five habits that win more than wording

1. Send it the same day. Speed is the independent operator's structural advantage. The first credible proposal frames the decision; every later one is compared to it.
2. Name real screens with photos. A specific proposal reads as "this was made for me"; a generic one reads as a price list.
3. One recommendation, one upgrade. Choice paralysis is the quiet killer of small-advertiser deals. Recommend with confidence.
4. Put an expiry on it. A validity date creates a reason to decide and protects your rates from six-month-old quotes resurfacing.
5. Follow up once, at the right moment. Two or three days before the validity date, one short message: "Holding your dates until Friday - shall I confirm them?" Then release the inventory and move on.

Common mistakes

• Sending a spreadsheet. Rate grids answer "what do you charge," not "should I do this." Proposals sell a campaign, not a price list.
• Leaving out the price. It adds a step, and steps are where deals die.
• Quoting without dates. A proposal without a start date is a brochure. Concrete dates make it real and make the follow-up natural.
• Five options. You are the expert on your inventory - recommending nothing outsources your job to the customer.
• No validity date. Open-ended quotes linger, get shopped around, and resurface after your rates have moved.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a DOOH proposal be?

One to three pages. A local advertiser needs to see the screens, the dates, the price, and the next step - not a media-agency deck. If a proposal takes longer to read than the decision takes to make, it is too long.

Should a proposal include the price, or should I wait for a call?

Include the price. Withholding it creates an extra step and signals that the number is negotiable theatre. A clear price with a validity date moves the decision forward; if the budget truly does not fit, you find out immediately instead of after three calls.

How many options should a DOOH proposal offer?

One recommended package, plus at most one upgrade. Five options push the decision back onto the advertiser and slow everything down. Recommend the package you believe in, show one larger alternative, and make accepting easy.

How quickly should I send a proposal after an enquiry?

Same day if at all possible, and within 24 hours as a rule. Speed is one of the few advantages an independent operator has over larger media owners, and enquiries go cold fast - the first credible proposal an advertiser receives frames every one that follows.